Men’s Health recently published a featured article for its online magazine on Los Angeles Lakers star Luka Doncic, who has made waves for revamping his body ahead of the 2025-26 NBA season.
Our digital cover star, Luka Doncic, ready to take his game (and the Lakers) to new levels of dominance. And this summer shred has been years in the making.https://t.co/aB19DY7rrL pic.twitter.com/bjVsf1ampI
— Men's Health Mag (@MensHealthMag) July 28, 2025
However, the article made one glaring error about Doncic, notably about his vertical leap at the 2018 NBA Combine, which has since been amended. In the original version, the authors claimed that the Lakers star recorded a 42-inch vertical leap at the combine as an 18-year-old. The problem? Doncic never actually participated in the NBA Draft Combine.
So, what exactly happened?
Well, it appears that Google’s AI Overview was responsible, in part, for the misinformation provided.
Men’s Health Error Goes Viral In Latest Luka Doncic Article
A screenshot from LockedOnMavs host Nick Angstadt shows the AI Overview at the time of publication stating that Doncic’s vertical leap was “officially measured at 42 inches”.
That men's health article on Luka Doncic claims he had a 42-inch vertical at the combine… but Luka didn't participate in the combine
It seems like the author just got that from the Google AI summary, which mistakes Donte Divincenzo's vertical leap number for Luka's. pic.twitter.com/2vLmGI2YvY
— Nick Angstadt (@NickVanExit) July 28, 2025
A quick fact check could have alleviated the situation, but instead, the authors appear to have been fooled by the AI Overview summary.
Both Donte Divincenzo and Josh Okogie were tied with the highest max vertical jump at the 2018 combine at 42 inches. Doncic, who was playing professionally in Europe at the time, did not participate and has never had an official measurement for his vertical released to the media, which makes the error all the more telling.
Is Doncic Finally In ‘Championship Shape’?
Criticism of Doncic’s conditioning has been a recurring theme in recent years, with detractors pointing to a lack of effort in taking care of his body as one of the few holes in his game. That sentiment has spilled over to social media, where fans have noticed a pattern. Doncic seemingly appears skinnier and in better shape during the offseason but struggles to take care of his body over the grind of an 82-game season.
Wait…so Luka been getting skinny every offseason when he leaves America 😭
Texas BBQ had this man in a chokehold 😂😂 pic.twitter.com/7gOZeSYLXp
— Hater Report (@HaterReport_) July 29, 2025
Nico Harrison came under fire at the NBA trade deadline for trading Doncic in exchange for Anthony Davis, Max Christie, and a 2029 first-round pick. The trade, widely considered one of the most shocking deals in NBA history, may have been one of Doncic’s main motivators for revamping his diet and workout routine during the offseason.
Doncic faced significant scrutiny for being out of shape before being traded by the Dallas Mavericks and those concerns were reiterated at the end of the season by Lakers’ head coach J.J. Redick, when he said the team needs to get into “championship shape”.
The Men’s Health mix-up might seem minor in isolation, but it underscores two growing realities: the challenges media outlets face in verifying facts in the age of AI, and the heightened scrutiny on Doncic as he works to redefine both his body and his legacy in a new city.
